Barenboim stirs up Israeli storm by playing Wagner

The Jewish conductor, Daniel Barenboim, provoked an outcry in Israel at the weekend by defying the country's informal ban on playing Wagner, the favourite composer of the Nazis. His decision to challenge the taboo was inspired by hearing the ringing-tone of a mobile phone in Jerusalem last week.

He originally had Wagner's The Valkyries on the programme for his weekend appearance at Israel's national arts festival. The organisers, after protests from Israel when the programme was published a few months ago, asked him to drop it and he agreed, replacing it with Schumann's Symphony No 4 and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.

On Saturday night, he and the Berlin Staatskapelle orchestra completed the programme as promised at Jerusalem's international convention centre. But when Barenboim returned for a second encore, he surprised the audience by asking if they wanted to hear Wagner.

An emotional 30-minute debate among the audience followed, with some shouting "fascist" and "concentration camp music", and dozens walked out, banging doors as the music began.

But most stayed and Barenboim, 58, played a piece from Tristan and Isolde. He was reported to have been close to tears after receiving a standing ovation.

He told the audience it had been a personal initiative: "You can be angry with me, but please don't be angry with the orchestra or the festival management."

He revealed that his decision was made at a press conference on Wednesday that was interrupted by the ring of a mobile phone. "The telephone's ring was The Valkyries of Wagner," he said. "I thought, if it can be heard on the ring of a telephone, why can't it be played in a concert hall?"

However, even some of those who oppose the Wagner ban were angry that Barenboim had reneged on a promise to the festival organisers. But most of the rightwing anger was simply because it was Wagner.

The prime minister, Ariel Sharon, said: "I would rather it hadn't been played. There are a lot of people in Israel for whom this issue is very hard."

The rightwing mayor of Jerusalem, Ehud Omert, said Barenboim's decision was "arrogant, uncultured and unacceptable". He added that Israel would have to review its relations with the conductor. "It's not his job to determine whether the state of Israel decides to allow Wagner to be heard or not. As a musician he is great, but as a human being I could say a few other things."

Wagner, who wrote anti-semitic diatribes, was the favourite composer of Hitler.

In 1981, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra tried to play a piece from Tristan and Isolde, but a Holocaust survivor jumped on to the stage, opened his shirt and showed scars from a concentration camp. The performance was abandoned.

The ban is not consistent. Wagner was for years being played on Israeli radio. A small crack was created last year when he was played for the first time on stage in a relatively low-key event by Israel's Rishon Lezion orchestra, conducted by a Holocaust survivor. But Barenboim's breach is the most serious yet, as it was in Jerusalem at Israel's premier music festival.

Barenboim, who was born in Argentina, raised in Israel and lives in Berlin, opened the debate on Saturday night by challenging the audience: "Despite what the Israel festival believes, there are people sitting in the audience for whom Wagner does not spark Nazi associations.

"I respect those for whom these associations are oppressive. It will be democratic to play a Wagner encore for those who wish to hear it. I am turning to you now and asking whether I can play Wagner?"

He said he did not want to offend anyone and that those who would find the music objectionable could leave.

The debate, carried out in Hebrew, was lost on almost all of the orchestra. Holocaust survivors were in both camps. Michael Avraham, 67, an engineer, said: "Wagner was a giant anti-semite but also a great musician. I'm against his views, but not his music."